


Doesn't Compare

by spiderquy



Category: Tom Holland (Actor) - Fandom, tom holland - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, F/M, Heavy Angst, Insecurity, Jealousy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 03:18:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17052071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiderquy/pseuds/spiderquy
Summary: You’re not supposed to hear it, but you do, and it just confirms everything you ever wondered and you’re stuck with what to do next.





	1. Part One

You sat beside him, cuddled into his warm side as he wrapped an arm effortlessly around your shoulder. The gang was around Tom’s flat watching a movie, everyone in sweats and looking like shit.

While the movie continued to roll and Harrison shoved another handful of popcorn into his mouth, Tom pressed a kiss to the top of your head and jumped off the sofa when a knock on the door sounded through the flat.

“That’ll be Z, said she was coming here straight after her date,” Jacob called from the beanbag he occupied on the floor, his attention focused back on the movie at hand.

You twisted your body to look over the back of the sofa, eyes trained on the door as Tom opened it. Zendaya wandered inside in all her glory, offering Tom a quick hug before strutting over to the rest of you.

Her short black dress clung to her body like a second layer of skin, enhancing her already gorgeous frame. Her hair sat on her shoulders in those gorgeous frizzy curls she didn’t like so much, and her face? Let’s not even get started on that masterpiece.

You squealed at the sight of her, ushering her to take Tom’s precious seat and she flopped onto the sofa. “So? How did it go?” you gave her your full, undivided attention, the movie long forgotten.

“Eh,” she grimaced slightly, nose crinkling and you pouted while Tom offered Z a drink and wandered into the kitchen to get it, strategising another place to sit now that all the seats were taken.

“I’m sorry, Z… was it  _that_  bad?” you asked gently, not sure why she didn’t enjoy the date as much as you both hoped.

She shrugged, “don’t worry about it, just a date,” and slouched into the fabric of Tom’s sofa, arms folding over her stomach and she picked up on the movie as moved along.

You pursed your lips and stood from your seat, rounding the sofa and joining Tom in the kitchen where you wrapped your hands around his waist and kissed his back through his shirt.

“You alrigh’, love?” he asked quietly, not wanting to get moaned at by Harrison again for talking too loud. You nodded against his back, allowing him to turn around so you now cuddled his front.

He wrapped his arms around you, dipping his head slightly and capturing your lips in a quick but searing kiss, and you grinned up at him.

“You look really good tonight,” you complimented, Tom’s smile only growing and he squeezed you.

“Well, my love, you look really good  _every_  night,” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively in a teasing manner, a sweet laugh sounding from the back of your throat.

The both of you rejoined your friends, hanging Z her beer before Tom plopped down in your seat and pulled you into his lap, holding your waist and you rested your head in the nape of his neck.

While you focused your attention on the movie, Tom and Zendaya quietly talked amongst themselves, mostly about the date but also about things in general.

When the movie ended, Laura called a taxi and got a lift back to her hotel with Jacob, leaving you, Haz, Tom, and Zendaya in the living room with the credits rolling.

“Wanna watch another film?” Haz asked, his bag of popcorn now empty and you nodded absentmindedly, Tom and Z humming, though they were too engrossed in their own conversation to actually acknowledge what Harrison had said.

Another knock on the door caught your attention, the others too busy focusing on their own thing, so you opened the door with a blanket wrapped around you and tired eyes.

Harry and Sam grinned cheekily, a box of pizza balancing on Harry’s flat palm, and his brother carried the other snacks in his hands.

“We heard it was movie night,” the boys spoke, offering you quick side hugs as you closed the door behind them.

“Wait, go stand against the wall over there,” Tom instructed, following Zendaya as the two greeted his brothers. You frowned with a small smile, wondering where their sudden burst of energy came from.

“Whatcha doin’?” you giggled, following them to the end of the hall where Zendaya posed against the wall and Tom held the phone up, camera facing her.

“Might as well get something for the ‘gram while I’m all dolled up,” she explained, dainty hands tousling her wild frizz and your smile slowly began to fade.

You couldn’t help it, couldn’t help the insecurities that crept up your spine and stabbed you in the back when Tom let out howls of approval whenever she struck a different pose.

It was silly, really. Zendaya was your close friend, but she was so effortlessly beautiful, it was hard to not feel anxious and insecure when you were around her, especially when she was glammed up like she was.

You loved her with everything you had, but that didn’t stop, nor help the clear anxiety of feeling insignificant whenever she was around. She was undoubtedly the most gorgeous woman you’d ever met, and it was intimidating.

Your smile grew back just as quickly as it faded, though. Z looked through the photos, grinning at Tom’s improving photography skills and she squealed just a little out of happiness.

“You find a good one?” you smiled widely at her, watching her nod. Tom scoffed and looked at you with a feigned offended look.

“Darling, they’re  _all_  good ones,” he turned back to Z and you felt your heart pick up a little. She wandered toward you though, requesting your opinion on which of the five she should post.

You voted for the third, much to Tom’s delight and he jumped around like a kid, boasting about how great the photo was and how amazing Z looked in it.

Realising you weren’t exactly contributing toward their enthusiasm, you left them to it, plopping on the sofa with a sigh and nicking a sweet from Harry’s lap.

He frowned at you with a fake pout, causing you to stick your tongue out at him in return. A bright flash caught your eye and you turned your head, noticing the smile on Harrison’s face and you followed his eyes.

Tom was taking more pictures of Zendaya, his excitement evident in the way he jumped around again like a fish out of water. Harrison flipped the camera back to the front and grinned.

“Hypeman Tom is back, ladies and gents,” he joked and ended the video, a notification sounding through your phone seconds later, telling you that Haz had posted said video he just filmed.

An hour and a half later, and the night was quickly coming to an end. It was 1AM and you insisted the boys stayed at the flat instead of getting a taxi home at this time.

Zendaya was already meant to be taking the spare room, so Harry, Sam, and Haz all camped out in the living room, fighting over who got the sofas and who was stuck with the beanbag.

Z had taken herself to bed a half an hour earlier, bidding everyone a goodnight and claiming she was too tired to deal with the boys, leaving you to do that alone.

You were in Tom’s room, rummaging through the wardrobe in search for blankets that the boys had requested. You were ready to climb into bed and sleep all night, but they had to be sorted out first.

With blankets and pillows in your arms, you quietly wandered back to the living room, not wanting to wake Zendaya with the creaking floorboards, but as you approached the rest of them, the soft mumbling of the boys stopped you.

“Mate, your photo skills are getting better, that shot of Zendaya is amazing,” Harry complimented, Tom grinning and clapping his hands.

“I know, I’m shit at it really, Z’s just really photogenic,” he laughed out. You knew it was wrong, that you shouldn’t be listening in on what they were saying, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to move.

“Zendaya could wear a bin bag and still look fit,” Sam noted, the boys bursting out in laughter but agreeing nonetheless. It was true and you knew it, she could pull off anything.

“I need a hypeman like Tom,” Harry sighed out jokingly. Haz hummed, “I’m sure you can rent him out for a day,” he quipped, Tom smacking the back of his head but doubling over and laughing at the same time.

“Not sure you have the time to be my hypeman as well as Zendaya’s and Y/N,” Harry laughed, and you froze. Now you really were stuck as though your feet were glued to the ground.

“What? I’m not Y/N’s hypeman,” Tom laughed, though his tone seemed offended that his brother would even suggest that, and your stomach dropped a little.

Your feet willed you to turn around and go back to the bedroom and forget about the blankets, but your body refused and forced you to stand there and listen to what they had to say.

“Mate, you should be your girlfriends biggest fan. What do you mean you’re not her hypeman?” Haz butted in, confusion all over his face and Tom shrugged and popped a piece of popcorn in his mouth.

“She doesn’t take a lot of photos, doesn’t really like having her picture taken,” he shrugged again, “she’s not like Zendaya,” he concluded and you frowned.

Harry scoffed, “well obviously, Tom. One, Y/N’s your girlfriend, and two, they’re both completely different people.”

Tom nodded. “Exactly, like Y/N’s gorgeous, she’s got that simple look about her, you know? She’s just a regular girl,” Tom started, and with every word, you felt your heart dropping to the very pit of your stomach.

“Zendaya, though, is this confident badass, you know? She pulls off anything and everything she wears, she’s insanely gorgeous, and even more so naturally. She’s so photogenic that even the photos I take look amazing,” he listed off effortlessly.

You swallowed back the lump in your throat. He made you sound so boring and insignificant to her, whether he meant to or not, and it hurt like a bitch.

“Y/N’s pretty but she just doesn’t compare to Zendaya,” was all it took for your heart to completely obliterate into a trillion pieces. You were no longer the only one that thought you were nothing compared to her, and clearly, Tom’s always thought so too.

The mumbles of agreement from the boys were drowned out by your own pain, the kind of pain you could physically feel in the tips of your fingers and in the centre of your chest.

You tried to blink back the tears but it was no use, they were already free falling. You knew Tom loved you, you never once doubted that, but knowing he thought you were merely a particle of dust compared to the diamond that she was, broke you like you never thought was possible.

You waited a few moments until you knew they were talking about something completely different before wandering into the room, throwing the blankets on the sofa and wandering into the kitchen.

“We’re thinking of going for breakfast in the morning, babe,” Tom informed you and you bit back a sob that was begging to be cried out.

Not trusting your words, you hummed and flicked on the kettle, keeping your backs to them as you tried to busy yourself, tried to stop the overpowering tears.

A gentle hand on your shoulder caught your attention and you span around with a gasp, eyes bloodshot as you stated up at the cause of it.

Tom frowned. “Hey, what’s wrong?” a protective rush swallowed him whole as he held you at arms length and examined your red eyes.

You shook your head with a forced smile, hoping he wouldn’t see through it. “Oh, nothing. I’m so tired my eyes are stinging, and I have a little headache,” you sighed out, rubbing your forehead.

Tom frowned and held you, kissing your warm forehead and squeezing you gently. “Go to bed, darling. I’ll make you your tea and be there in a minute, alright?” he insisted.

You nodded with pursed lips, eyes falling to the floor and you mumbled out a goodnight to the boys and excused yourself.

Harrison watched you wander down the hall, Tessa moping behind you and following you into Tom’s room. He turned to his best friend who made your tea, completely unaware as to what was going on.

“Mate, she heard you,” he spoke up, Tom’s head whipping round with a frown, unsure what Haz was talking about.

“Y/N, she heard what you said. That she’s nothing compared to Zendaya,” he reminded him of his words from just minutes ago and Tom shook his head with a sour face.

“I didn’t say  _that_ , I said she didn’t compare—“ Tom cut himself short when he realised that he Harrison was right and that he had just worded it differently.

“She didn’t hear, so what if she did?” Tom didn’t understand what was wrong, couldn’t understand why Harrison had the idea that you heard, so what if you did?

Haz groaned. “Mate, you  _compared_  her to another girl. Did you not see the look on her face? I wouldn’t be surprised if she heard you listing all that shit about her compared to Z.”

“Why would she be upset about that? She knows I love her and not Z,” he argued, your cup of tea long forgotten about.

“Because you did kind of make her sound like she wasn’t as pretty as Zendaya,” Haz winced as the words left his mouth, the whole ordeal sounding a lot harsher now it wasn’t sugar-coated.

“But she isn’t, she’s a different kind of pretty,” he still didn’t understand what the problem was. Sam and Harry simply stared at their brother in bewilderment. How had this fool not realised?

“It’s like Y/N coming out and saying ‘ _oh, Tom’s great and cute and handsome, but Haz has these dazzling blue eyes and this confidence, you know? Like, Tom just doesn’t compare—_ ‘“

“Alright, okay! Enough, thank you,” Tom mumbled out, cutting his brother off and a wave of guilt hit him full pelt.

He fell to the sofa, head in his hands as he groaned. “It wasn’t meant like that, though. Fuck,” he ran a hand through his hair, tugging on his roots and letting out a deep sigh.

“Shit! No, no, no, no, no, now she’s gonna start doubting herself and feel insecure and it’s all my fault,” he whined into his hands.

“She’s so gorgeous, though. She’s- she’s… fuck I can’t even put it into words,” he ran a hand down his face, standing from the sofa and fixing up your tea.

Without saying goodnight to his brothers or best friend, he grabbed your warm mug and slowly crept toward the bedroom, could hear your sniffles from the other side of the door and his heart clenched at the sound.

Slowly opening the door, he wandered in and struggled to find you under the mass of pillows and blankets on the bed.

He closed the door, dimming the lights and setting your mug on your nightstand, bending down to press a loving kiss to your forehead.

He rounded the bed and pulled the covers back, stripping down to his pair of boxers and crawling into the bed, hesitantly grabbing your waist and pulling your back into his chest.

“How’s your head, baby?” he whispered softly. You sniffled, clearing your throat, “hurts,” you mumbled and remained silent. You didn’t know Tom knew, and though you wanted to yell at him and cry, you couldn’t.

You knew you’d feel even shittier if you did.

“Darling,” he whispered, waiting for you to hum back and ask him to continue, and his heart broke a little when you didn’t.

“Darling, I love you,” he whispered again, planting a featherlight kiss to your bare shoulder. You ignored him again, lips pursed tightly shut and you begged for sleep to take over.

“You’re so effortlessly beautiful, you know? Like when you play with Tess, and you have a happy little smile on your precious face. Or when you’re watching a movie and something cute happens,” he whispered.

You swallowed back a lump in your throat. “Dammit, love, you’re just so fucking perfect. You’re so you and fuck, I’m so in love,” his shaky voice breathed down your neck.

Your stomach twisted, his words doing something to you that you couldn’t quite explain. “You’ve got this simple look to you that’s so deceiving because you’re not simple. You’re so intricate and different, and your mind is so incredible,” he continued.

“Baby, you’re so fucking amazing,” Tom breathed, and you refused to bite your tongue anymore. “But that doesn’t compare to her, does it?” you finally mumbled out through tears.

Tom’s breathing stopped at your words, at the sound of your broken voice and he winced. You finally turned around in his hold to face him, face blotchy and wet from your silent tears.

“It’s okay, you know. That you find her prettier than me, because I do, too. She’s so much prettier,” you bit back another cry as you spoke and Tom shook his head.

“No, love, no she isn’t. She’s pretty, don’t get me wrong, she is, but you? Shit, babe, words will never describe how fucking flawless you are.” he argued.

You shook your head, sniffling back the ongoing tears. “You don’t have to try and defend or explain yourself, Tommy. It’s okay,” you breathed, a small but reassuring smile on your face. 

Tom didn’t believe it, though. How could he? He cupped your soaked and puffy cheeks in his hands, your swollen lips squished and he kissed them gently. 

“Baby, I don’t find her more attractive than you. She’s pretty but I don’t find her attractive  _at all_. You? Fuck, babe, you’re  _everything_. You’re gorgeous, funny, smart, kind, sexy, passionate, considerate, loving, ambitious, stunn—”

“Okay, I get it,” you cut him off with a sigh. He shook head, “I don’t think you do, love. What I said, I didn’t mean it the way it came out, I swear, darling,” he breathed. 

“I know that nothing I say is going to make you feel better, or make up for what I said, but you are everything to me, and I mean  _everything_. The last thing I think about before I fall asleep, and the first thing I think about when I wake up.” 

“I shouldn’t have compared you, that was so fucking wrong of me. But she is the one that doesn’t compare to you.  _No one_  compares to my angel. Baby, I’m so hopelessly in love with you,” he was near tears, frustration oozing off him that you weren’t understanding.

“Yeah, I love you, too,” you mumbled back, getting ready to turn your back to him and let sleep consume you, but Tom grabbed your waist and stopped you.

“I’m so in love with you, that the thought of other girls tends to revolt me a little. I know I hype Zendaya up a lot, but that’s because she doesn’t have anyone like we have each other,” he tried to reason, brushing the hair from your face and you nodded.

You knew what he was saying was true, but that didn’t stop the pain in your chest when you replayed his words over in your head. “I don’t have a problem with you and Z, Tommy, you know that. She’s such a good friend to me. What hurts, is that you know how insecure I can get, and yet you  _compared_ me to someone  _you know_  I feel insecure against.”

Tom pursed his lips, knew you right, could remember all those times you went quiet after Zendaya was complimented and you were ignored. “Babe, I’m sorry. I swear it wasn’t meant like that. I meant you don’t compare to her level of confidence,” he breathed, and you weren’t sure if that was another punch to the gut or not.

“She’s this insanely confident, city badass, and  _you_ — you’re this quiet, shy, homegirl that has the most gorgeous eyes and glowing smile. Darling, she’s the type of girl that goes to bars and makes new friends every night,” his eyes were watering as you stared up at him with quivering lips. 

“But you’re the girl that’s always waiting for me. You’re home wherever you go, your presence alone calms people’s nerves. Baby, you’re this warmth that fills everyone when you walk into a room. You’re a constant, you’re here no matter what, always ready to pick up the pieces when something goes wrong.”

Tom’s thumb gently grazed over the swell of your bottom lip. “Everyone wants to be her friend, but you make them feel like they’re already family,” you couldn’t help the tears, and neither could he, didn’t bother to hide his emotional state from you. 

“Darling, I need you to believe me when I tell you that I want to marry you one day, that I want to have a beautiful family with you. I need you to believe me when I tell you that no one fucking compares to my angel.”

You let out a choked sob, the strangled cry piercing Tom’s ears and he held you close to his chest, hands soothingly rubbing your hack as he whispered sweet nothings into your ear through his own cries, and before you knew it, sleep had consumed you. 

When morning rose and the sweet sunshine shone through the cracks of the curtains, you finally awoke to an empty bed. Wrapping your dressing own around your cold frame, you padded through the hall and into the kitchen greeting everyone with a small smile.

The pain from the night before still haunted your aching body, and you hoped to Go he hadn’t told the others. As you poured yourself a morning tea, Tom wrapped his arms around your waist from behind and pressed a soft kiss to the skin of your neck. 

“Morning, love,” he rasped, kissing you again and you offered a gentle smile, your eyes puffy and full of sleep still. 

“So what are e all doing today?” Zendaya asked from the sofa, and Tom could feel your body tense at the sound of her voice. You hated that you reacted that way, she was your best friend. 

Tom cleared his throat, “actually, I need you all to clear off today and tonight, want some time with Y/N on my own for a little while,” Tom spoke, the room falling silent and you turned to him with wide eyes. 

“What? No, don’t kick them out,” you argued, entirely confused at why he would do that. Tom shook his head. “No, I’m gonna take you out for lunch then we’ll do a little shopping and come home and relax. I want time with my pretty girl.”

You couldn’t help the blush that began to creep up on your cheeks, heart swelling at his words and you nodded hesitantly. The twins, Harrison, and Zendaya watched with small smiles, nodding their heads and silently cooing at the blushing couple. 

“Guess we better fuck off, then,” Zendaya joked, laughs sounding through the room but you couldn’t tear your eyes off the love of your life. Tom grinned when he noticed your staring, cupping your cheeks and kissing your lips sweetly. 

“Thank you,” you whispered, kissing him again as he snaked his arms around you. “You can thank me by having a bath with me when we get home,” he suggested softly, and you nodded as quick as the words fell from his lips. 

“I love you,” you whispered, and Tom smiled cheekily down at you, playfully squeezing your bum and you shrieked. “I love you more, now go get dressed, love,” he kissed you again and sent you on your way. 

He turned to the boys and Z as soon as you were out of eyesight, letting out a sigh and smiling softly. “When are you gonna do it?” Haz asked through a cheesy grin. 

“Tonight, gonna run us a bath and do it,” he breathed, clammy hands wiping on his jean-clad thighs. Zendaya squealed quietly. “Can I see the ring?” she gushed, hopeful to see the beautiful diamond Tom had hidden away. 

He shook his head, “not until it’s on her finger. Man, I’m nervous, what if she thinks this is about last night?” he bit at his thumb, eyes wide like a deer in headlights. Harry shook his head.

“You’ve had the ring for months now, Tom, it was just about finding the right time to ask, and now you have it,” Sam reasoned, calming Tom’s nerves ever so slightly and he let out a breath and nodded his head.

“Yeah, okay. Now, all of you fuck off,” he rushed them out of the flat, taking deep breathes to calm himself down. By the end of the night, you’d be his fiancee and it’d finally be the start of your family. 


	2. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After hearing the words you weren’t meant to, Tom is determined to prove his love for you, and what better way than with a candlelit bath?

It was safe to say the entire day had been the most relaxed you’d left all week, despite the fact the soles of your feet were sore and tired. Tom had treated you to brunch, plates full of pancakes and bacon as you sat outside the little cafe on the corner of Brooke Street. **  
**

Next, the pair of you wandered the quiet streets of London, fingers intertwined as the wind blew against the soft material of that pretty green dress Tom loved. He’d been affectionate all day long, pestering you with little kisses on your cheeks and shoulders, some landing atop your head.

You loved it, truly. Loved being able to be a regular girl with your not-so-regular boyfriend, hardly any fans spotting you both and surprisingly, there had been no paparazzi or flashing cameras.

Just as you thought the day couldn’t get any better, Tom had pulled you into a little florist, insisting he made you the biggest bouquet of flowers you could carry, much to your dismay. Just twenty minutes later, you wandered out with a gorgeous bouquet of freshly picked flowers, a grin on your face and a swell in Tom’s heart.

By 4pm you both held flowers and a few bags of shopping, one bag being food, the others being things you’d treated each other to. Trailing up the stairs to the apartment, Tom continued to pepper kisses to your cheeks, loving the sound of the sweet giggles that slipped past your plump lips.

“Right, you go put your feet up and I’ll sort this all out,” he insisted, referring to the shopping bags and flowers as you both wandered into your home. You helped him place the bags on the kitchen counter, offering him a sweet kiss before dancing into the living room and falling onto the sofa with a sigh.

As soon as you were out of his line of sight and he heard the TV playing, Tom braced himself against the kitchen counter, letting out a shaky breath as beads of sweat dotted his hairline.

“It’s fine, Tom. You’re fine, stop fucking panicking,” he muttered under his breath, trying to calm his ever-growing nerves but it was no use. He was a complete and utter trainwreck.

“Babe, F.R.I.E.N.D.S is on!” he heard you call out from the sofa, heart swelling at the sound of your voice when a soft giggle followed. He took another deep breath, throwing the flowers in a vase of water and shoving the food shopping in their respective homes.

He slowly trotted toward you, plopping on the sofa as you curled into his side, your shoes thrown under the coffee table. “Thank you for today,” you mumbled into his shirt, leaning up with pouting lips and he bent down slightly to give you a sweet kiss.

“Don’t have to thank me for anything, love. Besides, the day’s not over yet, you still owe me a bath,” his tone faded into one of sultry, eyebrows wiggling playfully and all you could do was through your head back in laughter and slap his chest.

“I need food in my system before you rail me into the tub,” you joked, loving the sweet laughter that roared from his throat and he fell into the sofa, hand over his chest and his head thrown back.

You grinned, loving the smile on his lips and the way his eyes crinkled at the sides, how the light shone against the pooling tears of laughter. You heart swelled in both pain and adoration.

How could it hurt to love someone so much? You didn’t know, and you didn’t care.

A few minutes later, and Tom had finally calmed down, his stomach hurting from the laughter he’d cried and he dried his wet cheeks with a wide grin, still trying to catch his breath.

“Let’s get some dinner then,” he sighed out, couldn’t help the little giggle that followed when he remembered what you said, and you couldn’t help the smile that shone on your glowing face.

“Chinese or pizza? I can’t be bothered to cook,” you suggested, picking at your nails as you grabbed the remote and turned down the TV. Tom scrolled through the mass amount of takeout numbers on his phone, stopping short on your favourite takeout place.

“Choi’s?” he asked, slumped in the cushions and he turned to you, side of his face smashed into the pillow and your face lit up like a Christmas tree, sending a jolt of love through his body.

“Yes! We haven’t had Choi’s in so long!” you sighed, mouth watering at the thought of the best Chinese food in your area of London. Tom grinned at you, calling the number and not bothering to ask what you wanted, knew you’d want your usual.

After Tom placed the order, the pair of you cuddled up on the sofa, your head on his chest as you curled into his side, limbs tangled as the night sky became littered with twinkly stars that barely offered safe passage to the wandering pedestrians outside.

A little buzz caught your attention, your body falling to the cushions when Tom jumped up and over to the door, grabbing his wallet on the way. He opened the door, yelling out a cheery hello and you peered over the arm of the sofa.

“Hi, Mr. Choi!” you greeted him, heart swelling at the wholesome smile the Asian man offered. Mr. Choi owned Choi’s Chinese, and though he never made a delivery, he always made an exception for you and Tom, refused to let anyone else take you your food.

He was a kind man, always gave you more food than you ordered, and tended to throw in an extra pot of sweet and sour sauce, insisted you could never have too much. Tom moved out of the way and Mr. Choi waved at you while Tom fished through his wallet for a twenty-pound note.

“Thank you, Mr. Holland, enjoy your food!” he nodded, smiling at him as he took the money and handed over the bag of freshly cooked food, warm in his hands.

“Thanks, Mr. Choi,” you called out, standing from the sofa and offering another smile before you wandered to the kitchen and grabbed two chilled bottles of beer from the fridge. You heard Tom bid him a good night before the door closed and he plopped the Chinese onto the coffee table, waiting for you to come back with the beers.

You handed him a bottle, claiming the little bit of seat beside him as you placed yours on the coffee table and reached for the food. You pulled out the six little boxes that held far too much food, and handed three to Tom and kept the others for yourself.

You didn’t need to peer inside to know what was what, Mr. Choi knew you were always too hungry to look, so he always marked the top of your boxes with a smiley face in bright orange ink.

As you shovelled the food into your mouth, your mind blocked out why you were even having such a good day. The events of last night were shoved to the back of your mind as you swam in the pure happiness your boyfriend and the food offered.

Tom watched with adoration smothering his eyes, though even without it, you still looked the same to him. You always had that glow, your smile so fucking bright it almost caused his heart to implode.

He loved every single inch of you. From the baby hairs that tended to litter your hairline, right down to the little birthmark between your toes. It didn’t matter that when you looked in the mirror, you saw flaws and imperfections, because when Tom looked at you, oh boy, you put Michelangelo to shame.

Nothing could make him think otherwise. Not the crook in your tooth, or the little dents in your hips. The imperfections you insisted they were, were simply little parts that made you   _you_.

He couldn’t see them as imperfections, not when they contributed to your entire being, a being so incredible he often wondered why Earth could ever deserve an angel like you to walk upon it.

The way you spoke was a whole different ball game. You could speak the simplest of sentences, but they’d reach his ears so poetically, got voice alone entrancing him like he was transported to another dimension.

It was ridiculous, really, how in love with you he was. Never experienced anything quite like it, in fact, he didn’t even think this kind of love even existed. Only heard about it in fairy tales, and yet here you are, shoving a spring roll into your mouth and closing your eyes with a contentful sigh.

In that moment alone, he knew he’d made the right decision, that he was  _making_ the right decision. Knew that the ring hidden at the back of his sock drawer was made for you, that it belonged on your ring finger until the end of time.

He smiled at the thought.

His staring quick caught your attention and you turned to him with a sheepish smile. “Why are you staring at me like that?” you asked shyly, suddenly feeling overly self-conscious under his gaze, and you knew it was wrong, knew you shouldn’t feel that way under the eyes of the man you loved.

But that was the effect he had on you.

Tom shook his head. “You’re just really fucking pretty, and I love you a lot,” he whispered, leaning closer and gently pressing his lips to yours before you pulled away with slightly furrowed brows and a muffled giggle.

“I’m eating like a pig… but I love you, too,” you eyed him weirdly, taking another bite of your spring roll and he finally dug into his own food, arm around your shoulder to keep you by his side.

———

“Do we have any bath bombs?” you called out to Tom from the bathroom, your fingers in the hot water as you swished it across the surface, gently pushing the bubbles around.

You’d already littered every surface with tea light candles, a soft orange hue glowing over the room, making your silky skin looked darker than it actually was, and you knew it’d make Tom’s glow bronze.

“No, love. That’s why I put bubbles in there,” he called back from the bedroom, trying to calm his nerves as he struggled to think of how he was going to carry the little box with him and have you not notice it.

You pouted silently, shrugging your shoulders and stripping from your clothes, throwing them into the hamper and tentatively poking a foot into the tub to test the water.

Deciding it was good enough, you sunk into the tub, the hot water swallowing your aching bones as you relaxed into it, waiting for Tom to hurry up and join you.

“Tommy! Are you coming?” you called out, shoving your hair up into a messy bun atop your head and playing with the bubbles while you waited for him. Hearing him mutter something under his breath, he wandered into the bathroom in a pair of grey joggers and a packet of opened Haribos in his hand.

You frowned at them. “What’s with the sweets?” you asked, leaning forward as he placed them on the floor, leaning against the tub, and shimmying off his pants, standing in his naked glory and your cheeks flushed.

“I’m hungry,” he shrugged, “move over, love,” he waved his hand to the other end of the tub, needing more room to climb in behind you. He wrapped his arms around your middle and pulled your back against his chest, the both of you relaxes into one another.

“Thank you, for today,” you whispered, twisting your head so your cheek rested against the soft skin of his chest. Tom rubbed your thigh sweetly, kissing your forehead and shaking his head. “Don’t thank me, love. I’m just glad you had a good day,” he cooed.

He was nervous, that much was certain. His heart was pounding against his chest, and he didn’t understand how you couldn’t feel or hear it with your ear pressed against his skin.

With shaky hands, he reached over the tub, fingers pinching the opened pack of Haribos and he brought it to his hand, offering the open end to you, to which you shoved your hand inside and pulled out a heart.

“Oo, I love these,” you muttered, popping the treat in your mouth and Tom copied your actions with his own. He reached into the pack for another, pulling out an egg and pointing it to your mouth.

“Open up,” he grinned, watching you open your mouth and he fed you the sweet, loving the way you smiled up at him and he leaned down to press a soft kiss to your lips, the sweetness of the candy staining his mouth.

“You taste so sweet,” he teased, his nerves slipping away when he realised he didn’t really have anything to worry about. He loved you and you loved him, he knew you were the one.

You hummed. “Hm, I wonder why,” you teased back, smiling softly and reaching up to kiss him again. You reached back into the pack of sweets, pulling out a gummy ring and giggling to yourself.

You pulled it down your ring finger, dramatically shoving your hand out and admiring the sweet playful. Tom laughed softly behind you, pressing a kiss to your neck as he reached out beside the tub, clutching into the little black box.

“Looks pretty, actually,” you joked, wiggling your fingers and giggling softly. Tom kissed your neck again, gently flicking the box open and bringing it to your view.

“What, uh… what about this one?” he stuttered out, feeling you tense against him and you dropped your hand, the water consuming it as you span around in his arms and turned to him, the ring now between your bare bodies.

“W-what?” you swallowed back the lump in your throat, your smile long gone and you could feel your heart begging to jump out of your chest and into his hands.

“Y/N, baby, I’m so fucking in love with you that it hurts when you’re not with me. I love your stupid laugh and the way you get over excited about everything. Darlin’, I wanna spend the rest of my crazy life with you, if you’ll let me,” he breathed out, plucking the ring for the box.

“So, Y/N Y/L/N, my pretty girl, will you marry me?” he finally asked, eyes frantically searching your wide ones in hopes of finding an answer. Your lips parted, heart racing as you looked at the gorgeous diamond cut right, then back up at him.

A smile broke into the corners of your lips and you choked out a sob through a smile. “Tommy,” you breathed, cupping his blushing cheeks in your wet hands. “Of course I’ll fucking marry you,” you rushed out.

Tom let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and crashed his lips into yours, pulling you flush against his chest and gripping onto you as if your life depended on it.

He reluctantly pulled away and with shaking hands, he pulled off the Haribo ring and replaced it with a diamond one.


End file.
